The Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association (GNACOFA) has called for continued engagement with cocoa farmers over the implementation of the new cocoa protection legislation.

Stephenson Anane Boateng, who represented the association on theAsaase Breakfast Show on Monday (10 August), said the debate over the law should not be reduced to partisan politics because the legislation directly affects the livelihoods of cocoa farmers.

“Let us put aside the partisan issue and party issue,” he said.

Boateng said GNACOFA had engaged the leadership of theGhana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) on the legislation but acknowledged that the broader stakeholder engagement came after Parliament had already passed the bill.

He said farmers had nevertheless raised concerns about how the law would work in practice and wanted to be part of discussions on its implementation.

According to him, the association supports the objective of protecting cocoa farms, particularly because farmers often struggle to prevent other people from destroying cocoa trees on their land.

He said the new permit system could help address that problem, provided the officials responsible for granting permits did not abuse their authority.

Boateng also said the law should be enforced fairly and consistently.

“A law, if it is not enforced, it’s an advice,” he said, stressing that public officials must respect and properly enforce legislation once it comes into effect.

He urged cocoa farmers to organise themselves through associations to strengthen their ability to engage authorities and deal with permit requirements.

Boateng also pushed back against claims that farmers should reject the legislation simply because some stakeholders were not satisfied with every provision.

He said disagreement over parts of a law did not mean the legislation itself should not operate.

“There must be a law. The majority carries a vote,” he said.

However, he maintained that farmers should continue to engage authorities on the details of the law to ensure its implementation does not disadvantage them.

His comments come amid calls from the parliamentary minority for amendments to sections of the legislation, including provisions relating to cocoa tree removal and the registration of cocoa farms.